The
September 14, 2012 auction of Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art Part II at
Christie's New York is highlighted by an impressive collection of
bronzes, most from the Late Shang Dynasty, 11th Century B.C.,

Lot
1231 is a superb bronze ritual wine vessel (gu) from the Late Shang
Dynasty, 12th-11th Century B.C. It is 12 3/8 inches high.
"The trumpet-shaped neck of the slender vessel is crisply
cast in
low relief," the catalogue notes, "with four blades willed with leiwin rising form
a band of angular snakes. Both the center section of the
spreading pedestal foot are decroated with two taotie masks those
on the foot below a band of dragons and all are divided
and separated by notched flanges."

The lot has a modest estimate of $120,000 to $180,000. It sold for $146,500
including the buyer's premium as do all works mentioned in this article.

Of the 581 lots offered in Parts I and II, 430, or 74 percent, sold for a total of $19,596,275.

After
the auction, Michael Bass and Noah Kupferman, co-heads of the
department of Chinese Works of Art in New York, issued the following
statement:

"The
sale confirmed the deep strength of the market across all collecting
categories notably for archaic bronzes and jade carvings with
distinguished provenance. Snuff bottles, a growing area of intest
for collectors, performed well as did huanghuali furniture and Qing
porcelain. There was also a revived interest in early pottery."

Lot
1232 is an impressive and very rare and important large Archaic bronze
ritual wine vessel (zun) from the Late Shang Dynasty, 12th-11th Century
B.C. It is 9 5/8 inches in diameter. The catalogue
notes
that the compressed globular body is decorated "with large taotie maks
formed by the bodies of confronted and addorsed birds with pronounced
eyes, which are divided and separated by raised flanges and reserved on
a leiwen
ground. The taotie
are positioned below bovine heads cast in high relief on the shoulder
between pairs of kui
dragons and above a toothed band, possibly representing a mouth."
The base of the interior, it continued, is cast with a turtle
centered by a coiled dragon and enircled by two simplified dragons
biting each other's tail." The lot has an estimate of
$600,000 to
$800,000. It
sold for $842,500.

Lot
1221 is a large and impressive bronze ritual tripod steamer (yen) from
the Late Shang-Early Western Zhou Dynasty, 12th-11th Century B.C.
It is 15 1/2 inches high and has an estimate of $60,000 to
$80,000. It
sold for $74,500.

Lot
1230 is a very fine bronze tripod food vessel (liding) from the Late
Shang Dynasty, 11th Century B.C. It has a fine
patina and
good markings. It has an estimate of $80,000 to $120,000.
It sold for
$242,500.

Lot
1226 is an imposing and rare bronze ritual wine vessel (zun) from the
Late Shang/Early Western Zhou Dynasty, 12th-10th Century B.C.
It
is 11 7/8 inches high and has a modest estimate of $200,000 to
$300,000. It
sold for $1,426,500.

Lot
1233 is a very fine and rare bronze ritual pouring vessel (gong) from
the Late Shang Dynasty, 12th Century B.C. It is 8 1/2 inches
long. It has an estimate of $60,000 to $80,000. It failed to sell.

Lot
1235 is a very handsome bronze ritual pouring vessel (yi) from the Late
Western/Early Zhou Dynasty, 8th Century B.C. It is 13 3/8
inches
long. It has an estimate of $50,000 to $70,000. It sold for $62,500.

Lot
1222 is a very rare bronze tripod ritual wine vessel (jue), Early
Western Zhou Dynasty, 11th-10th Century B.C/ It is 7 1/4
inches
high and has an estimate of $60,000 to $80,000. It sold for $266,500.

One
of the most impressive works in the auction is Lot 1377, a grey pottery
figure of a male guard dog from the Han Dynasty, 206-B.C.-A.D. 220.
It is 28 inches high. It has an estimate of $6,000
to
$8,000. It
sold for $16,250.

Lot
1379 is an impressive pair of painted red pottery guardian figures,
Wushiyong, from the Tang Dynasty, 618-907. The tallest figure is 33
inches high. The lot has an estimate of $15,000 to $25,000.
The lot was once in the collection of J. J. Lally &
Co., of
New York. It
sold for $27,500.

Lot
1515 is a very nice Doucai bottle vase of the Qianlong/Jianqing Period,
1736-1820. It is 25 3/4 inches high. It has an
estimate of
$15,000 to $18,000. It
sold for $27,500.

Lot
1311, one of a pair of large cloisonne enamel floor vases and center
detail, first half of the 20th Century, 55 1/2 inches high

Lot
1311 is an impressive pair of large cloisonne enamel floor vases from
the first half of the 20th Century. They are 55 1/2 inches
high
and the lot has an estimate of $30,000 to $50,000. It sold for $74,500.

Lot
1422, Rare and massive blue and white fish jar, Jiajing six-character
mark in underglaze blue in a line and of the period, 1522-1566, 27 1/8
inches in diameter

Lot
1422 is a very attractive blue and white fish jar that is dated
1522-1566. It is 27 1/8 inches diameter. It has an
estimate
of $200,000 to $300,000. It is from the estate of Flora
Whitney
that was sold as Lot 198 at Sotheby's New York April 11,1987. It sold for $466,500.

Lot
1450 is a very nice Ming-style blue and white moonflask, Qinalong seal
mark in underglaze blue and of the period, 1736-1795. It is 9
5/8
inches high. It has an estimate of $40,000 to $60,000.
It sold for
$242,500.

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